What is a Sterile room? Requirements and Standards in Sterile room Design
Sterile room have been a prominent topic lately, especially as human life standards are elevated, emphasizing health as a top priority. Among these, Sterile room are areas designed and constructed to carry out sterile procedures in hospitals and medical facilities. So, what exactly is a Sterile room? What are the standards for Sterile room design? How are Sterile room applied in practice? Let’s explore with INTECH GROUP!
1. What is a Sterile room?
A Sterile room is a space where there are no pathogenic microorganisms (such as viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites). Sterile room ensure strict standards regarding patient safety by eliminating contamination. This is extremely crucial throughout the surgical process and patient recovery. The design and construction of sterile room must adhere to stringent standards, ensuring accuracy down to every detail. Currently, only a few large, reputable contractors have the capability to execute these projects.
2. Differentiating Clean and Sterile States
2.1 What is a Clean State?
By definition, a clean state means free from dust and dirt. Techniques to achieve a clean state focus on reducing the number of bacteria and preventing their transmission from one place to another.
Typical cleaning procedures include:
– Washing hands according to regulations
– Wearing gloves
– Maintaining a clean environment without applying sterile rules.
Clean techniques are suitable for some long-term care facilities and other clinical settings where patients are not at high risk of infection.
2.2 What is a Sterile State?
In contrast to a clean state, achieving a sterile state requires complete absence of bacteria or microorganisms.
Sterility is an environment where there are no living organisms capable of reproduction or transmission. Sterile environments are typically used in acute care patient facilities, operating rooms, pharmaceutical manufacturing plants, and areas with high infection risk. To achieve sterility, this environment requires the use of detergents, disinfectants, personnel wearing sterile gowns, bactericidal gloves, masks, and full-body coverings.
3. Requirements and Standards Applied in Sterile room Design
The ideal standard for Sterile room is the absence of all biological contaminants (e.g., fungi, bacteria, viruses), not just those that can cause illness, odors, or fermentation. Additionally, electrical standards, clean air standards, and lighting system standards must also be ensured.
3.1 Area and Space
Sterile room must have a minimum area of 15m² and be divided into three zones: clean, semi-clean, and dirty. Sterile room should also be designed separately, not interconnected with other rooms.
3.2 Construction Materials
To construct Sterile room, materials must meet quality and antibacterial standards. Additionally, materials should be easy to clean and free of toxic substances. Consideration can be given to materials such as tempered glass, stainless steel, aluminum glass, etc. Vinyl is a common material used for Sterile room flooring as it is waterproof.
3.3 Lighting and Ventilation Systems
To prevent the accumulation of moisture or splashing, pressure balance should be created between different areas and the Sterile room. Moreover, Sterile room should have air filtration processes, control airflow circulation, temperature, and humidity. Additionally, the lighting system should have a minimum intensity of 1600 Lux, as adequate lighting conditions enable staff to easily inspect equipment with the naked eye.
3.4 Equipment in Sterile room
Sterile room must be equipped with modern machinery to effectively sterilize medical instruments. Some necessary equipment includes:
Ultrasonic cleaning machine: Used to clean instruments with ultrasonic waves and bactericidal solutions, removing bacteria from the tools.
Sealing machine: Used to package medical instruments into specialized bags, protecting them from dust, dirt, bacteria during transportation and storage.
Steam sterilizer: Used to sterilize instruments with high-pressure steam, effectively eliminating bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other microorganisms.
Storage cabinet: Used to store and preserve sterilized instruments; cabinets have ultraviolet lights to prevent the growth of microorganisms.
4. Considerations in Sterile room Design and Construction
Walls: When designing Sterile room, avoid using sharp corners wherever possible to prevent bacteria or contaminants from accumulating in hard-to-clean areas. All wall surfaces must be completely sealed to prevent the intrusion of any particles into the controlled space. Designing an air pressure system can help prevent the infiltration of pollutants.
Ceiling Grid: Use reinforced steel ceiling grids to provide stability for equipment in the room, such as FFUs, HEPA Boxes, lighting fixtures, and ceiling panels. Additionally, ceiling grids are easy to clean to maintain sterility.
Filtration System: FFU devices are essential to ensure cleanliness levels comply with ISO requirements and industry standards for Sterile room.
Doors and Entrances: All entrances, windows, and doorways, including Sterile room windows, should be designed to create a complete surface when closed, avoiding any particles that could accumulate or be difficult to clean.
Special Technology: Special technologies such as UV-C can be used to kill bacteria and pathogens in the air or within the ductwork of Sterile room, supporting the filtration process and maintaining sterile conditions.
When selecting materials for Sterile room design, stainless steel and plastics such as FRP or U-PVC are considered the best options for Sterile room.
The above is detailed information about Sterile room. Sterile room projects require professional design and construction teams with experience to optimize and synchronize while providing reasonable and cost-effective solutions for hospitals and medical facilities.
INTECH GROUP is confident in providing consultancy, design, and construction services for Sterile room and hospital operating rooms with the best service quality, serving as a rational and cost-effective solution for hospitals and medical facilities.
Contact us now to receive timely support from our experienced experts!